60 Best Things to Do Before You Die!

The essence of any good bucket list consists of overcoming fears, achieving goals, realizing dreams and even simple pleasures. Whether it’s an exotic adventure half-way around the world or something simpler, like spending more time with your family or friends, what matters is that you experience all the good and phenomenal things Earth offers.

Here you’ll find 225 things to do before you die. Sure, a few of them are what some might consider to be cliché, but we made it a priority to think mostly outside the box.

So, without further ado…

1. Throw Tomatoes at La Tomatina

La Tomatina is an hour-long festival in Bunol, Valencia (Spain) where an estimated 150,000 tomatoes (a whopping 90,000lbs of juicy, pasty awesomeness) are flung everywhere and at everyone. The action begins at 11 a.m. sharp and ends an hour later: a water cannon usually signals both. Afterwards, those who’ve experienced La Tomatina claim that dark red covers the entire town square and that tomato juice abounds more plentiful than air. What better way to kick off your bucket list than participate in one of the world’s largest food fights?!

2. Hang from Toronto’s CN Tower

For acrophobiacs in need of curing their fear, one of the ultimate solutions has to be EdgeWalk—a terrifying “walk” on the I’m-gonna-to-die edge of the ledge of the 1, 800ft-tall CN Tower in Canada. Towering that high (1,168 feet/356m for the EdgeWalk platform) over the grand Toronto harbor, the CN Tower is the world’s fifth-tallest free-standing structure. Take the EdgeWalk challenge and for God’s sake, per the traditional wisdom (especially when you’re dangling at over 1,000ft via only a couple of cables), don’t look down!

3. Eat at One of the World’s Best Restaurants

How do you qualify “one of the best restaurants in the world”? Consider the following Über-fine (and, you guessed it, Über-expensive) eateries, and any and all guesswork will likely be eliminated from the equation: See Restaurant Magazine’s list of the world’s 50 best restaurants. Yours truly’s favorites among the top 50? Alinea, Per Se (U.S.), and Hof van Cleve (Belgium).

4. Visit Area 51

Area 51 is a highly secretive, mysterious military base (which everyone knows is a U.S. Air Force base, despite the U.S. government continually denying its existence even to this day) located in Nevada, on the southern shore of Groom Lake. It’s rumored to have hosted (and could still) anything from alien remains and/or alien spacecraft, to super-top-secret Air Force aircraft and warcraft, to bio- and chemical-warfare laboratories. Locals say that it’s safe to travel up until you see ‘Government/Restricted Area’ signs. Pass those warnings, however, and you’ll be greeted with, well, far less than red carpet hospitality!

 5.  Set Foot On All Seven Continents

Antarctica/The Arctic, Africa, Europe, Asia, Australia, South America, North America: Visit them all. Be able to gloat to your friends, especially in your older age, about truly having trekked around the world. Okay, so the corners of the Earth—i.e. Antarctica—aren’t very feasible adventures for most folks, but that shouldn’t stop you from pursuing travels to every other one of God’s great land masses!

6. Help Out a Random Stranger in Distress

Despite the (basically) inherent tendency in humans towards hedonism, life isn’t just about catering exclusively to one’s self-interests: At least it shouldn’t be. Next time you spot a broken-down motorist, pull over and volunteer to help (assuming that you feel safe doing so!). Offer to pay someone else’s bill that he/she can’t quite cover—e.g. they might, for instance, lack enough money to pay for a meal, or can’t quite make this month’s rent payment, or need emergency supplies during a power-outage. Countless other situations apply, too.

7. Go White Water Rafting in the Tatshenshini River

The O.A.R.S. Tatshenshini River Rafting expedition might prove the most exhilarating, most unforgettable adventure you’ll ever experience. The 11-day hiking and rafting trip—set in the behemoth, 27-million acre Tatshenshini-Alsek Wilderness Park in Alaska and western Canada—consists of a majestic trek through the pristine Alaskan wilderness along the St. Elias and Alsek mountain ranges. Adventurists are privy-ed to giant glaciers, numerous frozen waterfalls, white-water rafting through the Tatshenshini Gorge, the famed Walker Glacier (of which you’ll actually get to walk on), the Alsek and Grand Plateau Glaciers, and a huge variety of extraordinary wildlife—including bighorn sheep, bald eagles, moose, grizzly bears, and too many other species to list.

8. Solve a Rubik’s Cube

Master a Rubik’s Cube, that multi-colored, seemingly-innocuous, twisty little block that actually drives most folks crazy (as well as gives ‘em that ‘all-the-dumber’ feeling). Invented by Erno Rubik circa 1974, the 3-D puzzle game has held the title of ‘most popular game of its kind’ ever since its debut. The Rubik’s Cube is also known for something else, though–that is, causing untold angst amongst those who’ve failed to even produce two solid-colored sides, Yours Truly included!

9. Do Something That Absolutely Terrifies You

Have you experienced the dreadful fear of public speaking (a.k.a. ‘glossophobia’)? How about an irrational (probably not so much to you, the thrill-seeker, though!) fear of even the ‘lowest’ of heights, or of blood (hemophobia)? Confront it—head-on. Think of it this way, if you can successfully conquer your greatest fear in the world, then you can probably achieve anything, including defeating other phobias. And yes, in case you’re wondering, confronting the fear of bats also counts.

10. Skydive Over Mt. Everest in Nepal

What’s a good bucket list without at least one skydiving entry? Skydiving is one of the ultimate adrenaline rushes, something that many folks dream about doing, but never follow through on due to: A) being scared stiff and/or B) lacking the prerequisite funds (it does cost some money, but probably won’t clear out your bank account). To get you started, check out this daunting, even blood-curdling skydiving adventure: Everest Skydive. ‘Everest’, yes—as in, the 29,000-foot Mount Everest. From that altitude, you’ll jump from an expertly piloted and staffed Pilatus PC-6 airplane, and witness many of the most gorgeous, snow-capped mountains and majestic glacial lakes in the eastern world.

 11. Finish a Jigsaw Puzzle

Who, in their childhood, didn’t love to pass the time piecing a monster puzzle together? Now that you’re all grown (or at least in theory!), tackle another one. Feeling especially ambitious? Conquer the self-proclaimed “world’s largest jigsaw puzzle”–Double Retrospect, a mammoth puzzle board consisting of over 32,000 pieces, weighing just over 42 lbs, and measuring an extremely daunting 17 x 6 feet. Done? Frame, hang, and savor your masterpiece!

12. Learn a New Vocabulary Word Every Day

Do you realize that the average person’s vocabulary is limited to around 7,000 words? Considering that there are over a quarter of a million distinguishable words in the English language (per Oxford English Dictionaries)—and even excluding inflections of words, myriad technical jargon, and many regional-specific words—your 7,000-word vocab probably sounds a bit puny now, right? So stop limiting yourself to old, overused words and catchphrases and learn some new ones, already!

13. Watch the Top 100 Best Movies of All-Time

Fire up the HD projector or the big-screen TV and enjoy timeless masterpieces like The Godfather, The Lord of the Rings, A Clockwork Orange, and Schindler’s List. No film enthusiast in the least should forgo seeing at least some of the best movies in cinematic history—as determined by Lifed and Yours Truly, of course!

14. Go Horseback Riding in Swan Valley, Montana

The landscape above looks as if it could’ve been pulled straight from the movie The Sound of Music, right? Well, not quite—it’s the unadulterated, beautiful countryside of of Swan Valley, Montana. Horseback through open ranges swathed in green, lush grass, poppies, snow-capped mountains and magnificent lakes. Try the Lake Upsata Guest Ranch for information on their horseback-guided tours through the gorgeous countryside of Monture Creek and the Bob Marshall Wilderness.

15. Hold an Event in the Sky

Similar to EdgeWalk (albeit held at a more reasonable altitude!), Events In the Sky is a for-rental/for-sale service from a company that caters to parties seeking to, well, get some air time. From a height of 50 meters (165 feet), you can throw just about any kind of shindig for up to 22 guests, including marriage ceremonies, cocktail parties, dinners (comes with a chef, waiters, and even entertainers), poker games (good luck with that poker face while you’re dangling 50 meters up!), live talk shows, speaking engagements, and more. The company will set up shop practically anywhere of your choosing, provided there is adequate space.

16. Vacation in Igloo Village

Those who love winter (well, that, several feet of snow, and holy-crap-I-can’t-feel-my-legs-anymore! temps) are likely to find the Kakslauttanen, Finland Igloo Village right up their alley. In addition to rows-and-rows of heated, glass-dome igloos (keyword: HEATED) outfitted with beds, restrooms, and kitchens, the Village also boasts authentic igloos (for the most hardcore winter enthusiast) that never reach above freezing inside. Now, I’m as huge a fan of bitterly cold, snow-covered and consumed places as the next guy <smirk>, but I’m still taking the glass-dome-igloo route!

17. Get in the Guinness Book of World Records

Really, it’s not as hard as you may think. The best part? Some (perhaps unsightly) bodily abnormality or superhuman ability isn’t even needed to qualify for many entries! Have the largest collection of troll dolls (yep, it’s in there!), whiskey bottles, or vinyl records. Be the fastest runner on Earth. Pull a CC-177 Globemaster III aircraft (416,000 pounds) more than 28 feet (8.8m).  Whatever you choose, make sure it’s the heaviest, lightest, thinnest, farthest, ugliest, biggest, shortest or longest (and so on and so forth) in the world before you bother the good folks at the Guinness World Records.

18. Join the Peace Corps

“X served as a distinguished, honorable member of the U.S. Peace Corps from 2011-xx”: Imagine being designated as such a honorable person—tens-of-thousands of Peace Corps members worldwide already have. And besides the possible ego trip that you’ll get every time you walk by that engraved plaque on the wall, you’ll feel great about contributing to Earth’s less privileged, more disenfranchised peoples. And hey, a Peace Corps tour (or two, or three) could also make a good impression on the ole’ resume and/or autobiography!

19. Learn to Sail

As the late, great Mark Twain put it, “Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” Learn all you can about sailing; learn the lingo—e.g. jib, jibsheet, mainsheet, gunwale—and, most importantly, learn how to sail. When your inner-Jacques Cousteau is ready, make the leap to that first practice run. Oh, and it’s probably a great idea to bring along a compass and satellite-operated phone. Just sayin’!

20. Bungee Jump from Royal Gorge Bridge

So maybe skydiving is a little too extreme for you, but you still want to conquer your fear of heights. Welcome to the Royal Gorge Bridge in Canon, Colorado. Towering over the Arkansas River at 1,053 feet (321m), it’s one of the tallest suspension bridges and the highest [legal] bungee jump point on Earth.

Even if you don’t make the death-defying (it is a ‘Bucket List’, after all!) jump, the encompassing Royal Gorge Bridge and Park still has tons to do and see—like riding one of the longest aerial trams in the world and 21 other rides, and eating at one of the several eateries. However, bungee jumping events don’t occur here but a few times a year, so check ahead.

21. Become a Lifelong Collector of Something That Fascinates You

Your collection (or future one) represents a piece of who you are. It speaks volumes to your passion(s) in life. “What would I collect, though?” you might ask. The decision is yours alone, of course, but here’s a short list of very popular collectibles:

• Ceramics
• Baseball cards
• Newspapers
• Rare coins
• Antiques
• Beer cans/bottles
• Autographs
• Framed artwork
• Match boxes
• Pez dispensers

The world is truly your [collectible] oyster!

22.  Cross a Country On a Bicycle

Unless your inner-Lance Armstrong is calling, I’d suggest picking a smaller country, though. Choose a manageable (via bicycle) country with well-maintained roads (in other words, not Afghanistan), and plan to travel the ones with the least auto traffic (unless biking alongside crazy drivers is just your thing, of course!). Here are a few good countries to consider: Portugal, Greece, Belgium, Denmark, Slovenia, the Bahamas, Costa Rica, and Chile (you know, that extremely long, but very narrow South American country?).

23. Learn to Speak Another Language Fluently

Being bi- or even trilingual not only gives you special bragging rights among your more “linguistically-challenged” friends and family, it may also open doors to new careers (or earn you more $ at your existing job) and help immensely when traveling abroad. For instance, being fluent in German (depending on the popularity of the dialect(s) learned) enables communication with not only Germans, but with many cultures and/or regions of Switzerland, Austria, Poland, Lichtenstein and others.

24. Climb One of the World’s Seven Summits

If you haven’t noticed, ‘high altitude’ items have fairly broad influence on this here Bucket List. Depending on your level of fear (or not) of heights, this could be good or bad! And you may never be the next Richard Bass (first-ever documented person to reach the summit of the highest mountain on each of the seven continents), but there’s still the chance to get at least one in! Take your pick from:

• Mount Kilimanjaro (Africa; highest peak at over 5,800m high, or over 19,000ft)
• Mount Vinson Massif (Antarctica; 4,892m/16,050ft)
• Mount Kosciuszko (Australia; 2,228m/7,310ft)
• Carstensz Pyramid (Australia; 4,800m/16,000ft)
• Mount Everest (Asia; 8,800m/29,000ft)
• Mount Elbrus (Europe; 5,600m/18, 500ft)
• Mount McKinley (Denali peak) (North America;  6,194m/20,320ft)
• Mount Aconcagua (South America; 6,962m/22,841ft)

25. Bathe in the Ganges River During the Purna Kumbh Mela

The 45-day Purna Kumbh Mela is a holy pilgrimage (among Hindus and non-Hindus alike) that takes place every 12 years. Depending on the position of the planet Jupiter (‘Brhaspati’ in Hindi) in relation to the Sun and Earth, the festivities can take place in different cities, like Prayag, Uijain, Trimbakeshwar, Nashik, or Haridwar. However, beware: You may want to leave the Irish Spring soap at home, as the locals frown upon actual ‘soap’ being used in their holy water. Go figure!

26. Attend the Olympic Games

Thank the ancient Greeks for the idea of the modern-day Olympics, even though these ultimate competitions weren’t really revived (since around 393 A.D.) until the late 19th century. But no matter what your level of interest in sports is—whether ‘fanatic’ or ‘non-enthusiast’—there’s not one person that won’t get a thrill out of attending at least one Olympic game once in their life. As of this writing, London is slated to hold the next Summer Olympic games, with Solchi (Russia) hosting the 2014 Winter Olympics. Mark one on your calendar and make plans accordingly!

27. Visit the Birthplace or Gravesite of a Cultural Icon

Who are your favorite late, great people? Picasso, Abe Lincoln, Mark Twain…Elvis?  Whoever they are, what better way to pay your respects to them than by visiting their final resting places (and, of course, getting yourself in that destined-for-Facebook photo next to ‘em)? To find such places, websites like FindaGrave and GraveHunter have you covered.

28. Enjoy a Freshly Rolled Cigar in Cuba

Never mind the fact that Cuban cigars are forbidden imports in the U.S. Some rules are just meant to be broken. Besides that, it’s not even illegal if it’s actually being done in Cuba! That said, make sure that your stogie is actually ‘Cuban’, because up to 90% of them in the U.S. and Cuba are suspected counterfeits. A genuine, quality Cuban cigar should be labeled as ‘long-filled’ (never machine-made) and ‘hand-rolled’.

29. Drive Your Dream Car

Live anywhere near or ever plan to travel to Miami or New York City? Always dreamed of driving an ultra-exotic car? Hit the folks at Gotham Dream Cars up. They rent (for a princely sum) such lusty cars as the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG sportscar and S550 ultra-luxury sedan, Rolls-Royce Phantom, Ferrari 599 GTB and F430 Spider—all of them easily $100k+ automobiles. A word of caution, though: Make certain that you have some damn good insurance!

30. Drive the Great Ocean Road

If you haven’t heard of Australia’s Great Ocean Road and love winding, seaside drives, you’re sorely missing out. The 151-mile (243km) Great Ocean Road spans the southeastern coast of Australia between Torquay and Warrnambool. Constructed by soldiers as a (huge) memorial to the casualties of World War I, it’s home to the world-famous Twelve Apostles limestone stack formations, the Great Ocean Walk—a walking trail that boasts several areas of historical/cultural significance, exotic wildlife, campgrounds, and other wonders—Blanket Bay, Parks Victoria, The Grotto (another breathtaking limestone and sandstone formation), and countless other natural and manmade wonders of the world.

31. Climb Pacaya

Pacaya is an active volcano in Guatemala (and part of the Central American Volcanic Arc, or CAVA) that towers 8,373ft above sea level. It’s blown its top 23 times over the past few centuries, most recently in May of 2010, so it may be prudent to check with your local geologist/vulcanologist (never any of those around when you need one!) and/or update your will (just kidding!) before ascending Pacaya. It’s well worth the cost and journey, though.

32. Drink Beer at Oktoberfest

Oktoberfest: A 16-day, beer-slammin’, polka music-filled festival that entices over five million people every year from late September through October in Munich, Germany! During this sacred period for beer drinkers the world over, over seven million liters of Oktoberfest Beer are guzzled (that’s enough to quickly intoxicate a small country), and hoards of chicken, roast pork (Schweinebraten), sausage (Würstl), potato pancakes (Reiberdatschi), sauerkraut, wine, and coffee (among other vittles!) are consumed. Can’t make it to Munich? There happens to be other, albeit smaller, Oktoberfest events held in Argentina (as National Beer Festival), Brazil, Canada, Ireland, Vietnam, and in numerous U.S. cities.

33. Become a Fighter Pilot for a Day

Ever dreamed about tearing up the skies in a fighter jet, dog fight-style? Good, because you’re in luck! Air Combat USA was one of the first innovators of civilian air combat training when it commenced operations in 1988, and continues that legacy today by being among the world’s very best fighter pilot experiences for civilian recreation. Guests fly in actual fighter planes (like the SIAI Marchetti SF-260 shown above) with an experienced, licensed pilot. The best part? You need not even have a pilot’s license to fly along! Just try to avoid projectile vomiting when he/she takes the craft upside down!

34. Go to the Super Bowl

Even if you’ve never cared for footy-football (yeah, I went there), and Yours Truly falls into that category, certainly attend at least one Superbowl game, if for nothing else but the spectacular pre-game events and half-time shows. The next game, at the time of this writing, transpires at the grand Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana on February 5, 2011. Here, the New England Patriots and New York Giants will duke it out (again!) for the most coveted award in football, the Vince Lombardi Trophy. Missed that game? Try again for Super Bowl XLVIII in 2014 at the Metlife Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ. Brace for the weather, though; both the 2012 and 2014 games are held at “cold-weather” stadiums!

35. Go on a Toboggan Run in Grindelwald via Bussalp

Forget sledding down that tiny slope on the other side of town, even if it is nicely packed (with snow). Aspire to what’s considered the longest toboggan run (about 1,600m, or 5,200ft) in the world. Ascending to Faulhorn’s summit via Bussalp, the Big Pintenfritz toboggan run (in the French Bernese Alps) whisks you and party past the majesties of the Eiger, Jungfrau, and Monch mountains to your destination in the quaint village of Grindelwald, Switzerland. After that, you might as well check out its relative neighbor, the Igloo Village in Finland, as described in No. 16.

36. Learn to Make a Dish and Become Known for It

Okay, so this one’s pretty self-explanatory, yes? And the variety of different ethnic, local, regional, or even national favorite foods and delicacies is practically infinite. Take the ‘Luther Burger‘: This calorie-laden burger entails one or two beef patties sandwiched between two doughnuts (yes, doughnut) that serve as “buns” (yum…). It’s an extremely popular item at many T.J. Mulligans. Or Eggs Benedict, which consists of an egg sandwich with ham and Hollandaise sauce and was inspired by Mr. LeGrand Benedict at the famous Delmonico Restaurant in New York City.

37. Visit Redwood National Park

Redwood National Park is actually divided into Redwood State and National Parks, and is home to the world-famous, skyscraper-like Redwood trees. Of the 133,000 acre park system, almost 38,000 acres is dominated by the world’s most massive, tallest tree—the Coastal Redwood—the rest consisting of mile-after-mile of gorgeous fauna, flora, lush prairies, spectacular wildlife, and a 37-mile stretch of awe-inspiring beachfront on the Del Norte Coast.

38. Float Around the Dead Sea

Okay, so admittedly, you’re probably not initially fond of swimming around a place called “The Dead Sea”. Make no mistake, though: That’s more of a misnomer than anything. The lake is actually one of the most placid, magical places you’ll ever visit. The Dead Sea is a salt lake (a landlocked ‘sea’ highly concentrated in salt—this one being even saltier than the ocean itself at over 30% salt content) that borders Jordan to the east and Israel/the West Bank to the west. It spans about 42 miles, has the lowest elevation on Earth (at 1,300ft below sea-level), and—contrary to its name—is renowned for being a sort of Mecca for health research AND treatment.

39. Watch the Sunset from Oia, Santorini, Greece

When you’re not jumping from planes, sledding down mountains, and bungee jumping from towering bridges, makes plans to stay in the very legendary village of Oia, Santorini, Greece on the islands Thira and Therasia. Situated on an undulating, picturesque cliff near the islands of Fira and Thirassia, it offers stunning views of the Aegean Sea (most notably when the sun sets over it!) and the New Kameni volcano. Caveat emptor, though: Once you get settled in here, you’ll never want to leave!

40. Hang Glide Over Rio de Janeiro

What do’ya know? Another bucket list item that transpires above ground! Attempt (okay, don’t just attempt this one, especially while en-progress, if you get my drift!) hang gliding at least once over the magnificently beautiful (assuming you aren’t scared to look down and around!) Harbor of Rio de Janeiro. It’s the largest bay in the world based, one of the seven natural wonders of the world, and home to one of the most arresting aerial views in the western hemisphere. Oh, and while you’re airborne, don’t forget to look for the iconic Christ the Redeemer statue!

41. Relax on Poipu Beach

Po’ipu Beach Park (a.k.a. ‘Waiohai Beach’) is considered by many, particularly the staff at the University of Florida, as one of the ‘best beaches’ worldwide, with its lush, tropical surroundings accompanied by miles-and-miles pristine swimming areas—both in the ocean and resort pools. Other seasonal activities held in the region include snorkeling tours, surf breaks (surfing), body-boarding, deep-sea fishing, and paddling.

42. Stargaze at the Atacama Desert in Chile

To foreign tourists, the Atacama Desert of Northern Chile apes something of a foreign world—that is, it’s extremely dry (the driest place on Earth, acquiring less than a millimeter of rain a year) and boasts a very Mars-like appearance, with miles and miles of nothingness surrounded by sparsely-populated mountains. Why go here, then? Star gazing, what else?! Since the Atacama receives very few cloudy days and little interference from pesky city lights, and is high above sea-level, it’s a star-gazer’s paradise. To get an even more extraordinary view of the southern hemisphere sky (the Fornax Cluster and Tarantula Nebula, among other galactic wonders, are oft seen here) from the Desert, there’s the world famous Very Large Telescope (at Paranal Observatory) and the soon-to-be Atacama Large Millimeter Array, the world’s largest radio telescope.

43. Get Passionate About a Cause

There’s no getting past it: We live in a pretty self-centered, narcissistic world. Fortunately, there are still hundreds-of-thousands, even millions, of people who actually want to make this increasingly-troubled place just a little bit better. Become part of this movement and you’ll feel a renewed, rewarding sense of purpose about your life and those that you’ve helped! Do something about it, rather than just thinking about it or putting it off: Donate, volunteer, raise awareness, etc.

44. Listen to War Stories

They risked their lives to serve their beloved country. Don’t you think veterans deserve—at a bare minimum—a willing, open ear to entertain once in a while, even if it’s that of a perfect stranger? Buy a veteran a beer; ask him or her questions about the struggle he/she was involved in; even give him the ‘interview treatment’, and at least act genuinely interested in his personal stories of courage and survival.

45. Create Your Family Tree

Everyone’s wants, or at least needs to, know where and from whom they descended from. Heritage is an important and irrevocable part of anyone’s personal identity. And with relatively new technologies—like the marvel of ancestry.com and the information powerhouse that’s the Internet itself—it’s easier to trace your roots, farther back in time, than in at any point in history. True story!

46. Watch a Space Shuttle Launch

Very few of man’s inventions, specifically that of transport and delivery, have ever proven so poignantly awe-inspiring as the lift-off of NASA’s Space Shuttle. Witnessing a launch in-person only proves that point with flying colors.  And although NASA’s Space Shuttle took its last trip into space (Shuttle Atlantis in July 0f 2011) last year, many more space vehicles (known as “expendable space vehicles”) will take launch in the future. Check the future dates at NASA’s official launch schedule webpage and don’t miss out it!

47. Learn to Tango in Buenos Aires

Common, if you’re going to learn to do the Tango, learn it from an authentic South American in an authentic South American city. But take note—not all Tango classes and shows are created equal in Argentina. There’s Salon de Baile, a highly formal style of tango, complete with formal dress, uniformed waiters, an older clientele, and a low tolerance for anything less than excellent Tango-ing. Then there’s ‘Baile Joven’, an informal style much more popular in more informal settings with live music and bands (Piazzolla, cumbia, and salsa are popular); Baile Joven typically attracts a more youthful clientele.

48. Ride a Hot Air Balloon in Cappadocia, Turkey

Cappadocia is a naturally grand, even bizarrely magnificent place in Anatolia, Turkey; it’s where weather has—for millions of years—eroded massive amounts of volcanic rock into thousands of oddly-proportioned pillars, cones and so-called ‘fairy chimneys’, the latter appearing very tall and in any shade from light pink to yellow and to brown. And what better (and probably only) way to experience this natural eye candy than by hot air balloon? Professionals there generally swoop you up from your hotel and up to the liftoff site early in the morning. You’ll float silently above the Cappadocian landscape—one abounding with small villages, quaint vineyards and orchards—for around an hour, and land gracefully (hopefully!) with a ton of beautiful pictures and lifelong memories.

49. Make Your Own Wine in Napa Valley

As for pure quaintness, what on Earth could be more charming (and maybe romantic?) than making your own wine from super-fresh grapes in the capitol of vineyards and wineries in the U.S.? Enter Napa Valley, California: Home to many of the most prestigious, independently-owned wineries, winery boutiques (e.g. Robert Mondavi), and vineyards (Duckhorn Vineyards) in the U.S. At the Brooklyn Urban Winery and Winemaking Center, visitors get to collaborate with a real winemaker, press their own grapes, custom label and and bottle it, and even go on a wine sampling extravaganza. Should you go overboard with the ‘sampling’, though, better have a designated driver!

50. Learn to Juggle

Everyone’s gotta have at least one basically-useless-but entertaining-nonetheless skill! But is juggling really ‘useless’? Nope! Research has shown it to significantly improve essential motor skills in youths and adults, including improved focus, concentration, hand-eye coordination, reflexes and boosted self-confidence. Now, it’s best to use oranges, apples, or other small, spherical objects, rather than the likes of knives (ouch!) or chainsaws (you really wanna die, don’t ya?) that you may have seen idiots on YouTube attempt —lest the completing of your bucket list comes to a very painful (or worse) halt.

51. Scuba Dive on the SS Yongala

The SS Yongala was a passenger ship in 1911 that crashed and sunk (taking 122 unfortunate passengers with her) in 1911 just south of Townsville, Queensland, Australia—suffering the same fate as the Titanic that year, but garnering hardly ANY of the publicity as the latter. Now, the SS Yongala serves as a popular scuba diver destination. Over 10,000 sport and professional divers visit her annually. And considering that the Titanic will likely never be available for sightseeing by the public—due to its extreme depth in the Atlantic—the SS Yongala is definitely the next best option.

52. Get a Deep-Tissue Massage

Just imagine every last one of your achy, ho-hum muscles, joints, ligaments, and tendons getting unparalleled, sinfully-pleasurable attention from a professional masseuse. And taken a step further, with a ‘deep-tissue’ massage, lower-level muscle, connective tissue and/or fascia gets coalesced, sustained pressure to work out all of those pesky aches, knots, and weaknesses. If it’s any indication of its effectiveness, deep-tissue massages are routinely practiced on patients with chronic pain and those with major, sustained injuries. So what are you waiting on? You might as well feel sensationally loose before you kick the bucket, right?

53. Get Through the Longleat Hedge Maze

The Longleat Hedge Maze (of the Longleat Safari Maze near Warminster and Frome in England) is a bewildering maze made up of, you guessed it—vertical hedges. The goal of wondering through them? To get to the observation tower as quickly as you can. Beware, though: It won’t easy, as close to 2 miles of English Yew hedges (all 16,000 of them!) abound, producing twists and turns everywhere. And if the Maze isn’t enough, the gorgeous scenery, stately Longleat Castle, and other attractions here will definitely make it worth your while.

54. Ride on the Singapore Flyer

Think you’ve ridden a real Ferris Wheel before? Maybe you have, but never like this! At a claustrophobia-inducing height of 165m (541ft–and just for your edification, that’s 42 stories high), it’s the tallest Ferris Wheel in the world, narrowly beating the gigantic Star of Nanchang (525ft) in China. Another extraordinary thing about the Flyer is its very unorthodox, roomy (complete with A/C) ‘capsules‘; and get this, each one of these 28 capsules holds 28 folks. So, if you’re terrified of heights, another person to cling to is just a seat away!

55. Take a Week-Long Technology Hiatus

Technology permeates virtually every facet of our modern lives. We religiously cling to and swear by our iPhones, iPads, laptops, and so forth, but lose sight of just how amazing these [relatively] very new technologies are and how good we have it compared to just a few generations ago. Make plans to partake in a week or two’s hiatus of all your technical goodies: No cell phones, no laptops, no nothing 21st- or even 20th-century.

Fast forward: Once your tech sabbatical is complete, you’ll probably enjoy a renewed gratitude and sense of immense awe towards things that you once probably considered ‘indispensable’.

56. Write Your Last Will and Testament

Okay so at first, this gem’s probably going to strike you as a bit depressing and possibly even morbid. This will pass, though! So why write your own last will and testament? Tons of very good reasons—to leave behind a written legacy for your survivors (children, grandchildren, spouse…) to remember you by, to leave one for future generations, to give them a ‘road map’ as to the direction you’d want them to take their lives, to….

57. Drive on the German Autobahns

Anyone who’s ever been [even] remotely interested in cars and/or auto racing has heard of the legendary Autobahn (Bundesautobahn), a system of highways in Germany where motorists can go as fast as they damn well please. What most people don’t know, though, is that the Autobahn comprises the fifth longest set of national highways in the world at almost 8,000 miles long, just behind the U.S.’s. Here’s a good tip, though: Watch out for cars (usually high-end, luxury marques like Mercedes, BMW, and Ferrari) going in excess of 150mph (241kph by European standards). Or better yet, rent your own!

58. Party at Mardi Gras

New Orleans. Bourbon Street. The French Quarter. Parade floats, funny masks, doubloons, king cake, and beads. LOTS of beads. All ring synonymous with the annual Mardi Gras festival in southern Louisiana. Each January, during the dead of winter for many parts of the U.S., tens-of-thousands of party goers flock to the streets of New Orleans (and several other prominent cities around the world that celebrate the event) to participate in the two week-long festival leading up to Fat Tuesday.

59. Ride a Gondola in Venice, Italy

There’s probably nothing in the world more charming, more utterly romantic (assuming that your trip here actually entails ‘romance’!) than taking a relaxing voyage through the watery canals and byways of Venice. Gondola ferries are extremely popular here, and they’re surprisingly cheap. What might you see while cruising majestic Venice via its network of pristine canals? The legendary Bridge of Sighs (Ponte dei Sospiri), the Ca’Rezzonico palazzo (museum) along one of the main canals, Doge’s Palace (a famous Gothic-styled museum) and tons of other attractions for starters.

60. Visit Stonehenge During the Summer Solstice

West of Amesbury and to the north of Salisbury (Wiltshire county, England) stands the iconic, prehistoric Stonehenge monument. Erected in a circular fashion with massive stones, archeologists believe it was built in the Neolithic period and Bronze Age (circa 2400-2200B.C.) But why? Some experts claim it served as a burial ground; others claim it served as some tool for studying the heavens or worshiping some deity(s). But one thing that still confounds even experts is just how it was built, considering that many of the boulders weigh in excess of several thousand tons. Nonetheless, before checking this off your list, how about proposing a few hypothesis of your own?

Source:http://www.lifed.com/bucket-list-225-things-to-do-before-you-die